WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After the first female U.S. President is shot dead in a sniper attack, a mysterious man shows up with no memory and a “XIII” tattoo on his neck. As he searches for his identity – and while mysterious government agents search for him – XIII learns the horrible truth about himself and must take action to stop being a puppet.

WHAT I LIKED
There’s a certain level of political intrigue that is fun with “XIII: The Conspiracy.” If you’re a fan of shows like “24,” you might enjoy the cat-and-mouse play of this movie. Stephen Dorff is surprisingly likeable in this movie, and Val Kilmer shows his villainous acting chops that he perfected in this summer’s “MacGruber.”

“XIII: The Conspiracy” was apparently broadcast on NBC not too long ago, and it works as a political thriller. It’s not nearly as great as “24,” but it’s decent for being having such a made-for-TV feel to it.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Let’s face it… “XIII: The Conspiracy” doesn’t have the chops to have been a major theatrical release. Nor does it have anywhere close to the cajones to go head-to-head with “24.” Coming from the Phase 4 studio, it’s got the feel of a movie-of-the-week from the mid-1990s.

Originally broadcast as a miniseries, it doesn’t rise above that moniker. For junkies of the political thriller, it works. But anyone who doesn’t have a full love of the genre will want to leave this one alone.

DVD FEATURES
The DVD includes some behind-the-scenes videos, the trailer and some very low-level production interviews with the cast and crew.

WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of low-budget political thrillers.